Macarons pas tres bons

After the so so lunch we had, we decided to go on the third floor of the Food Gallery 32 in NYC, to check for some sweets. The only appetizing sweets were macaroons. I asked for a cookies and cream one and they did not have it. Then banana...and they did not have it! Finally they told me what they had and we ended up with strawberry and a vanilla one. They were very gummy and not good. There are days like that....

I just wanted to eat!!!

Back from Vermont!

Although back few days ago, I wanted to do a recap of the food I had in Vermont. I had quite different choices and made sure that my stomach was part of the trip....

Cheese Fondue:

I am going to start with the cheese fondue: we bought at the supermarket a pre-packaged Swiss fondue. Making fondue is not difficult, but the pre-packaged ones are pretty decent and even better than the fondue I had one time at the restaurant The Melting Pot in Hoboken (way too much garlic)! You just need a fondue pot, put the fondue mix in it, heat it and enjoy! Of course, you need bread to dip in the cheese: I either have some old hard bread or some fresh bread. If you do not have a pot, you can use a pan, but need to eat quicker as the cheese has to be well melted. The legend says that you should not drink water during the meal otherwise it will be like plaster in your stomach! I am wondering if it is not to make people drink more wine (white of course and dry)!

The Whip Bar and Grill at the Green Mountain Inn:

I was surprised by the quality of the meal! This place looks like a casual restaurant, but their menu is pretty elaborate and I had an excellent dinner there! The Gorgonzola crusted filet mignon was delicious; I was surprised considering the fact that it was not a steakhouse. The truffle scented mash potatoes were amazing too! I hate when they announce that there is truffle and you cannot taste it! This time I did! Then I got the duck: I love any type of poultry and duck is no exception. The difficulty is not to overcook it: it was perfectly done! I also had a butternut squash and cider soup that was very good. Not as good as the one I had at Art Smith's restaurant in Washington, Art and Soul, that was served with gingerbread and creme fraiche (type of sour cream).

Ben & Jerry's:

Now that I went to the Ben & Jerry's factory, I have a different perception: I did not know that they were promoting fair trade (and that they are from Vermont)! 

The factory tour was only worth it for the sample at the end (Milk and Chocolate - excellent!): the factory was not running and you do not walk on the floor so you are losing some information there. I then tried the Jimmy Fallon creation: Late Night Snack that is vanilla ice cream, fudge covered potato chips and a salty caramel swirl. I love the sweet and salty taste. The ice cream is more on the sweet side, but it is fine: after all it is an ice cream!

The Hourglass Lounge at the Stowe Resort:

We went for a quick snack and I had a burger. The meat was tasty, moist and perfectly cooked. The fries were kind of crispy, nothing worth to remember. 

Mac Donald's and Burger King:

Do you really want me to do a recap on that? Only few words: I would eat there only when necessary! The meat was tasteless! Once you have tried a good burger, you cannot go back to this!

I had other great food: the fruits, snow and maple syrup, as well as the Thanksgiving dinner (shall I say feast?) with our friends are memorable. 

I hope you too had a good time with friends and Family around a good dinner!

I just wanted to eat!

Lisa's Italian deli in Hoboken, NJ

Lisa's Italian deli is a great Italian deli in Hoboken. I have tried both their sandwiches and their pasta and was never disappointed! 

For sandwiches, the selection of cold or hot sandwiches is quite big! After you pick what you want, you can choose the bread: ciabatta, French baguette, soft Italian bread, wrap, roll...All the ingredients taste very fresh. Their baguette or soft Italian bread are delicious!

If you are vegetarian, there is a large choice for you: swiss cheese hero, ricotta hero, fresh mozzarella cold sandwich...

My favorite sandwich is the "Lisa's American Hero Boy" combo that is made with with turkey, roasted beef, pepperoni, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, roasted peppers, mustard or mayo. The sandwich is huge, but tasting so good that I could eat it at once! All the layers work so well together!

When ordering pasta, you can choose between ziti, penne or spaghetti. There too, they have a large choice: alfredo, a la vodka, with meatballs, with eggplant parmigiana, etc...My favorite is the Pasta gorgonzola that contains capers. This dish is incredibly good! I have never tried to mix gorgonzola with capers: very tasty! 

I am definitely a fan!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

BK?

After the Mc Rib, the junior whopper. I did not have Burger King in a while. The last time was in Paris, probably 10 years ago, before they closed their restaurants in France because they were not profitable. I have to say that in the world of fast food, I prefer Mc Donald's
over BK! But, do not worry, I will not change the name of this blog to "I just want to eat fast food": only when necessary!!!

Sushi at Go Sushi in New York

I went for a quick lunch to Go Sushi, a Japanese restaurant suggested by Alfred, a great app on my phone. When we arrived, the place was empty, but then people started to come. You can either order and they will prepare the food fresh or you can pick some already prepared dishes. The menu is standard: sushi, sashimi, rolls, teriyaki, etc....

For lunch, they offer menus at a good price. I picked the sushi platter and my friend chose the salmon teriyaki (he asked them to change one item and they did it). The sushi and rolls were good: the fish did not look suspicious and had a nice color that make me think that it was fresh; I just regret that they made one of the sushi with a shrimp... It was served with a salad and a miso soup that was delicious (it had some mushrooms in it). It was good but I have to say that I was still hungry after....

Last thing to mention: you have to order at the counter and apparently, if there is a lot of people, you need to make sure that you know what you want if you stand in front of it. They will give you a number written on a piece of cardboard. 

I would probably go back there, but will order some additional rolls next time to match my appetite....

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Another Thanksgiving dinner!

This is going to be a feast: turkey, pork shoulder, corn bread, Italian Mac and Cheese, mash potatoes, meatballs, spinach deep, cranberry chutney...and stretch pants! I probably forgot something!

Natale's, Italian Bakery in Summit, NJ

Natale's is an Italian bakery located in Summit, New Jersey that opened in 1938. We ended up there after our so so experience at the Huntley Taverne. We needed something good and sweet to forget...My wife's cousin, Jessica, proposed us to go there. That was a brilliant idea! Anyway, how could we refuse to go to a bakery??? 

They do have a large selection of typical Italian cookies, but also some cakes inspired from French pastries. What I likes is that they were proposing, for some cookies, a small and regular size: I think it is great, because it allows people to try different things. I mean, with so many cookies, I did not know what to choose! So I picked a mini cannoli and a mini cream puff! They were good but missing a little bit of sugar: funny because usually, I complain about too much sugar! The sprinkle cookie was good and everybody loved their cookies. So Jessica: mission accomplished!

If you are in Summit, try Natale's and have a cannoli for me!

Enjoy (I did)!

Thanksgiving dinner at The Whip bar and grill in Stowe, VT

That was a delicious dinner! Read this: amazing butternut and cider soup, delicious Gorgonzola crusted filet mignon with truffle mash potatoes and incredible honey roasted smoked duck breast with a duck confit leg and an apple and beet marmalade. Loved it!!!

Snow as a dessert?

So imagine that! I just tasted a dessert that two little friends, Ari and Ronin, made for us: snow, maple syrup and fruits. Well, it was pretty good! Just beware of the yellow snow...

Happy thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who enjoy food and thus are reading this blog! I love Holidays like this one, especially when a feast is involved!

So enjoy: I will!

What? A Mc Rib???

Yes, I am sure some of you are surprised to see me in the golden arches restaurant. But hey, when you are hungry, you are hungry! Regardless the quality of the food and how nutritious it is, Mc Donald's, aka Mc Do in France, does a good job marketing its products and masking the poor taste of the meat with different types of food enhancer and sauces. For instance, the Mc Rib was very tasty thanks to the BBQ sauce and onions!

This time I will not say "enjoy"!

Recipe: Mantecaos

Mantecaos are cookies that come from North Africa (some say that it originated in Spain). Some cook it with almonds or with cinnamon. On my side, I make them simply, as follows:

- 1 lb / 500 grams of white flour

- 0.5 lb / 250 grams of sugar

- 1.25 cup / 0.3 liter of vegetable oil

Mix all the ingredients together. Make small balls with the dough and place them on a baking sheet or aluminum foil (I put some flour on the aluminum foil so the cookies do not stick to it). Cook for 25 to 30 minutes in the oven at 350 F. Right before the end of the baking process, you can drizzle the top with chocolate powder.

Enjoy (I did)! Especially as I had to eat one of the cookies for the photo...

Ready for a hot chocolate at Max Brenner (New York City)!

We went to Max Brenner aka the Bald Guy today for a nice breakfast with some dear friends. It was the first time we went there during the week and at 9am; what a shock! Usually, in the week end, it is crazy packed! The restaurant was empty! I could imagine myself being locked at night there with only chocolate to survive the night (I know, I exaggerate...).

Their menu can satisfy any palate: from eggs to burgers to various dishes that include a chocolate pizza. I started of course with a dark chocolate hot cocoa! It was de-li-cious! Not too sweet and very chocolaty! What was funny was the cup it was served in: it looked like a toilet! There was no handle, so fortunately it was not too hot. I flushed it in seconds...

As the main dishes, we picked the Lazy breakfast (we chose scrambled eggs and mushrooms), a buttery homemade croissant and the Black & Tan Beer Battered Vidalia Rings with Dark Chocolate Ranch Dressing (quite original). 

The eggs were not good: overcooked with a smoky taste probably coming from the mushrooms that was off. The croissant however was deliciously buttery and served with a caramel and chocolate sauce that was awesome (I drank it instead of putting it on the croissant)! I loved the presentation! 

Last were the onion rings: they were very good and crispy, but I did not like the chocolate ranch dressing: it tasted kind of weird! 

If I were to go back (that I would certainly for the hot cocoa), I would probably bet on the sweet side of the menu as the salty side is so so (one of our friends did not like his dish either - the huevos rancheros).

Enjoy (I did)!

Dinner at The Meatball Factory, New York City

Yesterday we went to The Meatball Factory, the new restaurant from Chef Dave Martin. You may recognize him from Top Chef season 1. I had the chance of talking a class at the French Culinary Institute with him (Sunday Brunch with Dave Martin - Recommended!!!) that was great and could talk to him a bit. It is nice to see chefs passionate about what they are doing and not just looking for celebrity.

So he opened The Meatball Factory in New York recently. I think it is a great idea! Who does not like meatballs? They can be made in many ways and can also be eaten in many forms.

The restaurant is nice, with a warm feeling. There is enough space between the bar and the tables so you do not feel crammed in. Although we went on a Sunday, I could have thought it was a Saturday: it was packed! The service was nice and efficient. I like the fact that they did not rush us to eat, despite how crowded it was.

Now, let's talk about food!

Meatballs!
They have 8 types of them, one of them being vegan. One order corresponds to 5 meatballs. You can either eat the meatballs like that, or in a sandwich (Challah roll). We decided to eat them only with sauces and we chose two meatballs:

• Meatzza, Meatzza- Braised Certified Angus Beef Brand Short Ribs, Hanger Steak and Filet, Buffalo, Potato & Parmesan.
• Vegan’s Dream- Roasted Sweet Onion, Carrot, Mushroom, Asparagus, Broccoli, Squash, Red Bell Pepper ,Chickpeas, Green Lentils, Tofu & Roasted Garlic (Dairy and Gluten Free).

The Meatzza, Meatzza was delicious: very tasty and not dry. The vegan meatballs were awesome! As you know, I am more of a meat guy, but believe me: it was excellent and it did not even need any sauce on it! It was a little tough to eat because it does not stay together like meat meatballs, but definitely to try!

We also picked a sauce sampler composed of 3 sauces:

• Shroom Central- Roasted Medley of Wild Mushrooms blended with Veggie Stock, Thyme and a touch of cream. I loved the fact that it contained mushrooms in it and that it was not just a cream of mushrooms! 
• Fire Roasted Marinara- Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic & Sweet Onion, Fresh Basil & Sherry. A classic, but always delicious!
• Truffle Time- The Black Truffle Sauce from Dave’s World Famous Black, Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese- Slow Cooked Cream, Shallots, Brandy, Sherry, Truffles, Fontina, Thyme & Oregano.

That is a lot of mushrooms there! The sauces were delicious and paired well with the meatballs.

We also got a pizza: the ‘Thai This’- Green Curry Peanut Sauce, Turducken Meatballs, Thai Chiles and Grana Padano. It was very spicy but so good! Even if you mouth is on fire, you cannot stop eating it! The crust was crispy and the presentation on a wood board was very nice and rustic.

We also tried the Truffle Mac'n Cheese, specialty of the Chef that was a nice side for the meatballs.

Of course, we finished the meal with dessert:

• Hot Tin Roof Sundae: Homemade malted Hot Fudge & Sea Salt Caramel along with Candied Nutmeg Walnuts over Marshmallow Gelato. The candied walnut were unfortunately nowhere to be found, the only mishap of the kitchen. However, the ice cream was so good and not too sweet. I could have eaten another gallon of it.
• Patsy’s Magic Cookie Bar: Callebaut Dark Chocolate Chips, Dried Cherries & Sweetened Coconut baked on a Graham Cracker Crust: this was the best! Like the sundae, it was not too sweet, that is always appreciated when you eat several desserts...

It is a great restaurant with a wonderful concept, but one thing I would suggest is that the layout of the menu be changed as it is kind of confusing about the way you can eat meatballs. I would do like in burger restaurants:
1 - pick your meatball
2 - pick your sauce
3 - decide how you would like to eat it: alone, with bread,...
4 - etc...

Also, I would suggest a meatball sampler so people can taste the different flavors they are proposing. I always thought a sampler gives a playful dimension to a meal!

The Meatball Factory is definitely a restaurant to try and to go back to!

Enjoy (I did)!

Brunch at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

Almond croissant at at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

We went for brunch at La Bouche Cafe in Hoboken, a small cafe that opened this year, replacing a rice pudding joint called Miami Rice (!). I am not surprised that Miami Rice closed: first of all, you really need to know it is there as it is off the main street in Hoboken. Second, it was overpriced! Although it is always sad to see a business close, I was happy to see a cafe opening. 

Bread at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

I thought that it would be like a French cafe, based on the name that means literally "The Cafe of the mouth". I would say that the decor with its little outdoor terrace and the nostalgia it inspires could remind me an old French cafe, as well as the viennoiseries (croissants and chocolate croissants), but it will stop there. The music they play is some old American 60's music and the menu, besides the croissants that are from Balthazar, is a typical American menu (bagel, eggs, sandwiches...). On their website, they mention quiches, but they were nowhere to be found when we went there.

From their menu, we tried:

• The almond croissant: pretty good, but not as good as the one I got at the Old German Bakery in Hoboken. The later had a lot of almond paste in it that makes the almond croissant so good. Besides that, it was flaky, fresh and moist.
• The smoked salmon omelette that was: smoked salmon, dill, cream cheese and scrambled eggs. It was good but like any smoked salmon omelette, a bit salty. The scrambled eggs were cooked perfectly (I hate when eggs are overcooked).

Smoked salmon omelet at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

Smoked salmon omelet at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

• The Caprese salad served with avocados, basil and black olives. I though that the presentation was very nice! The avocado were ripe, the tomato and mozzarella delicious, although overdressed.

Caprese salad at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

Caprese salad at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

They also serve coffee and tea. I would not go for the hot cocoa ($3) because it is simply Swiss Miss! They could at least propose a better quality cocoa!!!

The bill at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

Overall, it was a nice little brunch at a reasonable price. And listen: if you like chocolate croissants, they have two bars of chocolate in it!

Enjoy (I did)!

My new BFF: Alfred

Sad to say: my new Best Friend Forever is Alfred, an application for Iphone from CleverSense, that should be available on Android and Windows 7 devices soon. Its original name was supposed to be Seymour, but I think Alfred is better! 

What makes the difference between this app and still useful sites like Yelp, is that it is personalized: you will teach Alfred your favorite places and he will propose restaurants (applies also for drinks) to you, taking into account what you liked, the location, the genre and the price. Alfred will then display the results. If you select a restaurant, it will show you basic information, the ratings/comments from people, the menu, some photos and what other restaurants fans of this one like. You can then mark if you liked the restaurant or not, map it, share it with friends or send the link by email. The interface is easy to use and the character amusing with his bow tie that spins when he is thinking (searching).

I love it! I wish Alfred could also pay the bill....

Enjoy (I always do)!

Great Chocolate Croissants from Freshdirect!

A friend told us about some pre-baked croissants from Freshdirect. We tried the chocolate croissants (4 for $6) and I have to say that it is pretty good! 

I was doubtful at first as supermarket croissants are usually dry. These are very buttery, maybe a little heavier than the ones I am used to, but delicious! They are pre-baked, so you have to finish them in the oven. I think it is a great idea: you get the great smell of croissants all over your kitchen and it tastes very fresh. I am definitely going to try the croissants next time!

Enjoy (I did)!

Japanese Food at Robongi in Hoboken, NJ

I love Japanese food. But you really need to find a good place: clean with fresh fish, especially if, like me, you like sushi and sashimi that in most cases are made of raw seafood (sushi is the one with rice!). My least favorite in sushi are raw calamari and shrimp, the later coming more often cooked but bland.

I also have a rule: I will not have sushi / sashimi on a Sunday or Monday night as most likely the fish is leftover from the week end!

In Hoboken, Robongi is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants. Their menu is nice and they offer a wide range of specialties. The quality of the food is also very good and the service very attentive. No wonder why it is always crowded on the week end!

Food wise, here are my favorites:

• Appetizers/salads:
• Nasu (photo 1): baked eggplant with miso sauce. Ok, few times, the eggplant was undercooked, but otherwise, one of the best appetizers. By teh way, avoid the crab cakes...
• Yasai Gyoza (photo 2): pan fried vegetables dumplings. Tasty, crispy, delicious!
• Shrimp shumai: delicate and sweet.
• Spicy squid salad: a very nice dish. It is spicy but not too much for my taste. I prefer the squid salad over the spicy tuna salad.
• Sushi / Sashimi / rolls:
• Avocado roll: standard. It only happened once that the avocado was not ripe.
• Spicy scallop (photo 3): it was the first time I tried raw scallop. I love everything in this roll: the tenderness of the scallop, the tempura batter crunch and the spicy mayo! Yummy!
• Salmon or tuna avocado roll: very fresh!
• Philadelphia roll: smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber. Not sure that they serve that in Tokyo!
• Spider roll: deep fried soft shell crab, lettuce, cucumber.
• Sushi or sashimi entrees: they pick the fishes they will serve. Salmon and tuna are usually making the cut. 

The specialty rolls can be, as in any japanese restaurants, difficult to eat because big!

They also have a nice lunch menu served with soup and salad at a reasonable price!

Definitely a good Japanese place if you are in Hoboken!

Enjoy (I did)!

Wild Gray Sole

It has been a while since I ate sole: the last time was in Europe, many years ago. It is a very good fish with a sweet and mild flavor. Once, I tried the lemon sole but did not retrieve the same taste as the most popular sole: the dover sole. It was too sweet and did not resemble what I knew. 

Then I tried the Wild Gray Sole (thanks Freshdirect!). This was exactly the same taste I remembered! Cooking it can be difficult as it is a very delicate fish with a very moist and soft flesh. Like any flaky fish, I dip it in flour before cooking so it does not attach to the bottom of the pan and does not fall apart. I cook it in olive oil, but it can also be cooked in butter with a little bit of parsley. 

As a side, you can try the shekshouka recipe I posted last time!

In term of nutrition, it is low in calories, fat and an excellent source of Omega 3! 

I am more of a meat guy, but a fish like that is worth any filet mignon! Yeah right!

Enjoy (I did)!

Filippo's on First in Hoboken, NJ: another pizza place!

There are three things I do not like when ordering pizza:

1. When you ask for a topping and they are really cheap. The best example is fresh basil.
2. How the pizza will end up delivered: either crushed or not carried straight so the cheese and sauce finish on the cardboard and not the pizza.
3. The pizza have a tendency to steam and the crust loses its crunchiness (for that, you just need to pass it in the oven).

I found out that Filippo's on First was doing a great job! Their pizza is delicious and tasty and they are generous on the toppings. The crust is thin and crunchy.

Definitely another great pizza in Hoboken!

Enjoy (I did)!